Authentic Goan Chicken Vindaloo Recipe

Authentic Goan Chicken Vindaloo - Restaurant-quality ,Spicy, Fiery Red Chicken Curry from the east coast of India! Yes the REAL DEAL! Serve with Dinner Rolls, Rice or Naan

Jump to:

• What is vindaloo
• What is Chicken Vindaloo Curry
• Ingredients
• Hot Tip
• Substitutions
• How to make Goan Chicken Vindaloo Curry
• Recipe Notes & Tips
• Serving
• Pairing
• Storing & Freezing
• Variations
• More Indian Chicken Curry Recipes
• Authentic Goan Chicken Vindaloo
• Chicken Vindaloo vs Chicken Tikka Masala
• Chicken Vindaloo vs Chicken Korma
• Instant pot chicken vindaloo
• Frequently asked Questions

TASTE: Spicy curry ,slightly sour from the vinegar.
TEXTURE: Smooth Rich Gravy with cooked chicken
EASE:  Easy
APPEARANCE: Reddish orange curry
Serve with : Bread, dinner rolls, rice or naan. Traditionally with Sanas

So you went to goa for your last holiday and were bowled over by the amazing cuisine.And now that you are home, you want to recreate some of that food..

Well no worries..I have got you! This recipe is as authentic as it gets while being simple at the same time!

First things first..This is a spicy curry..So if you cannot take spice, you should make milder north indian butter chicken instead.

But if you are looking for a spicy curry? Then look no further!!

This is a fiery red curry from Goa. East coast of India, famous for it's beaches, Food & Wine.

Traditionally Vindaloo is made with Pork. Here we are making a simpler version with Chicken.

This is what we will do.You can also watch the video recipe to understand more details

• Make the Vindaloo Paste
• Marinate the Chicken
• Sauté onions
• Slow cook the Chicken

Vindaloo, though from goa, is made in many forms and ways all along the east coast of india. Mangalorean Chicken Ghee roast ,Shrimp Gassi, Mangalorean Prawn Sukka & Malabar Chicken Peralan some of the chicken dishes that have similar ingredients too. They are all from the eastern coast of India.

What is vindaloo

This curry is has emerged from melting pot of poturgese, Goan and British influences.

In fact, the name "Vindaloo" is actually a garbled version of the Portuguese dish called carne de vinha d'alhos which translates to "meat in garlic wine marinade".

In around 1800's,this dish was Indianised by using palm vinegar instead of wine and was traditionally made with pork or beef.

The further evolution of this dish happened when British ruled India- in that version the meat was marinated overnight with vinegar, ginger,garlic and spices and then cooked the next day.

What is Chicken Vindaloo Curry

Vindaloo is a goan specialty which is usually dark red in color. Chicken vindaloo is a leaner cousin of the traditional pork vindaloo.

We have made the same sauce and simmered the chicken slowly in the sauce so all the flavors get infused all the way in.

When made right, a vindaloo curry should be red-maroonish in color, slightly sweet, have layers of heat from- red dry chilies, green chilies and black pepper and the most important have two distinct sour notes coming from  the vinegar.

Ingredients

Here is the list of ingredients you will need to make vindaloo. At the end of this section, there is a list of substitutes so that you can make this curry anywhere in the world with what you have.

Vindaloo Curry Paste Ingredients

Here is what you need to make the vindaloo paste

Rest of the ingredients

Chicken

I have used a whole skin on chicken that's been cut into about 3-4 inch pieces.This is called curry cut chicken.

You can also use chicken drumsticks or thighs with bone in or a combination of both.

This curry is traditionally made with pork which is slow cooked for long.To make the curry in chicken, we will need it cut in such a way that it can sustain slow cooking.

Vindaloo is also made with high fat meat, and that is why we have used skin on chicken for this.

Chilies

The color of the vindaloo is all from the chilies. This is an important part of the recipe. The best kind of chili to use would be anything that gives color but not heat.

You can use bydagi chillies from Karnataka, Kashmiri chilies from kashmir , Ancho chilies from mexico which is a dried form of poblano pepper.

You can also use paprika or ground Kashmiri chili powder instead.(6 chilies make 1 tablespoon of powder)

Garlic

A lot of garlic!

The minimum is about 8 cloves. Though if you love garlic like i do, increase that to 15 cloves.

Sugar

When you use so many chilies, sugar becomes so so important! I know it seems funny but trust me, this will give the curry a multi dimensional flavor.

You can use palm sugar or jaggery or white sugar.

Vinegar

This is the element that gives the vindaloo it's sourness. This along with the use of chilies, distinguish vindaloo from every other curry.

So you must must uses vinegar!

For this curry we have not used any tamarind, tomatoes or lemon. Vinegar not only gives the curry it's characteristic depth but also balances everything together.

Ideally, use palm or coconut vinegar. If you don't have that, use regular white vinegar or red wine vinegar.

Substitutions

A quick table for substitutions

• Curry Cut Chicken with Skin - Skin on, bone on Chicken Thighs, Pork or Lamb
• Kashmiri Chilies- Ground Kashmiri chili powder, paprika, ancho Chilies, Bydagi chilies
• Sugar- White, Brown sugar or jaggery, palm jaggery, coconut jaggery
• Vinegar- Goan Vinegar, white vinegar, red wine vinegar, palm vinegar, coconut vinegar

Vindaloo gets it's color from the chilies. Though I love our spicy food once in a while, i dont like eating it everyday.

Here is a handy little snippet on the heat of Vindaloo. Remember, lesser chili powder will mean less heat but it will also mean that the curry wont be bright red.

Mild heat: 3-4 Kashmiri Chili Chilies

Moderate heat: 6-8 tablespoon of Kashmiri Chilies

Very spicy heat: 10-12 Kashmiri Chilies. If you want even more than that, then you can add sliced green chilies while sauteing too.

Tip: If you do not have whole Red Kashmiri chilies, you can use ground Kashmiri chili powder too.
1 tablespoon of Kashmiri Chili powder is roughly 5-6 Kashmiri red chilies.
Another way to reduce the heat is to use only the skin of the red chilies and discard the seeds within.
Use a kitchen sheers to make this easy!

How to make Goan Chicken Vindaloo Curry

Make The Spice Paste

Once you get the vindaloo paste right, rest of it is very easy.

If you have a high speed blender, something in which you have made nut butters or spice blends, you can just blend everything toghether into a thick paste.Add a littl water if needed.

If you do not have a high speed blender, soak the chilies in hot water for 10-15 minutes. Discard the water and then proceed to make the paste.

Watch out for the cinnamon and ginger. Those two culprits usually take the longest to blend.

Marinade the Chicken

Add all that gorgeous red spice blend to the chicken. Let it marinate for 15 minutes to 24 hours in the fridge.

You can also freeze the marinated chicken for later use.

Marinating the chicken will make it tender. Especially because of the vinegar. The chicken will also get flavored till the inside.

Marination Time Guide

Minimum -15 minutes
Average- 1-3 hours in refrigerator
Best- 4- 24 hours

Saute & Simmer

Now the easy part.

Add the oil and onions. Sauté till the onions are translucent pink whitish. These will add thickness to the gravy.

Now add the chicken with about a cup of water. I usually add the water to the blender I used to get all that leftover marinade too.

Give it a good mix.

Simmer, covered, for 30-40 minutes on low heat.

Recipe Notes & Tips

You will know the curry is cooked when

• Oil floats on top
• Chicken legs start to tear

To make the curry less spicy, you can

• Cut the chili and remove the seeds before using
• Reduce the amount of chili used. This will change the color a bit but the taste will still be on point
• Last resort for all curries- dilute it with coconut milk

Best Pot to make Vindaloo

• Enameled Cast Iron Heavy bottomed pan which can withstand constant heat for a long time.
• Heavy bottomed steel pot

Reduced Fat Chicken Vindaloo

• You can skim the red fat that comes on top after the cooking is done
• You can also use skin less chicken to make a healthier version of chicken vindaloo

Boneless Chicken Vindaloo

I have been making vindaloo for so long that I have tried all kinds of possible combinations.

You can make this curry with all kinds of cuts of chicken

Chicken Breast - I have simmered a whole chicken breast in the sauce once. I have to say its a great way to get high quality protein in!

Chicken Thighs - Personally i like chicken thighs in curries and stews. Especially when its simmered. Chicken breast can get chewy, rather stringy quite fast. Chicken thighs though are generally more forgiving and tend to absorb the flavor and juices of the curry better.

Whole Chicken Baked with Vindaloo Paste - One Christmas, I baked an entire chicken that I marinated in the vindaloo paste. It was very similar to the Whole Chicken Roast Indian Style recipe, except I used the vindaloo paste we make in this recipe.
Needless to say it was epic!

Serving

Vindaloo is best served a day after cooking. That's when the spices have matured, gone all the way in the chicken.

Vindaloo is usually a part of goan Christmas dinner. Traditionally ,it is served with soft fermented rice cakes called sannas. They are sort of like idlies. That's why idlies are a great choice to serve vindaloo with.

Another great choice is dinner rolls or pavs. I love mopping up the vindaloo curry with a soft warm pav.

You also have the choice choice of plain rice and naans.

As the curry is spicy by itself, it's usually paired with neutral accompaniments.

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Chicken Vindaloo:

Storing & Freezing

The curry will last on the counter for 5-10 hours depending on how hot it is. In hotter, humid climates, its best to refrigerate the curry within 3-4 hours of making.

In the refrigerator, the chicken vindaloo curry will last for 6-7 days. Make sure you store it in a air tight container so that it doesn't transfer its smell and spices to rest of the things in the fridge.

I also suggest you do not use plastic or Tupperware. It will most probably stain the boxes.

If you love making vindaloo, you can make the paste and store it in the fridge for up to 20-25 days.

Also! This curry, like all other curries, freezes well. It should last for 2-3 months, if packed nicely. Use a freezer safe container or freezer bags.

When you freeze curries, they do tend to separate. Especially vindaloo. You will see the fat separate from the rest of the curry. You can skim it off if you prefer.

To thaw the curry, simply microwave it.

Variations

Vindaloo sauce is very popular across the world. It is made with a lot of different animal proteins and vegetables. Here are a few variations.

Vegetable or Vegetarian Vindaloo - Use potatoes, mushrooms, paneer instead of using chicken. Cook the spice blend with a little water. Once the gravy is cooked, add the vegetables, paneer or tofu.
Vindaloo sauce doesn't use any dairy and that is why, it can be converted into a vegan dish by using jackfruit or tofu instead.

Pork-You can use a fatty cut of pork to make this. Pork belly is a great option. Simmer the curry for 90-100 minutes on slow flame to get a rich pork vindaloo.

Lamb or Duck Vindaloo- You can also use lamb and cook it in the same way as pork

Fish & Shrimp - Fish is a delicate protein. To use this, you should complete till the step of adding the spice blend to cooked onions. Add a bit of water and let the gravy cook for 15 minutes. After the gravy is cooked, add the fish. Simmer for 10 minutes till the fish is cooked through.

Chicken vindaloo with potatoes - Add 2 large peeled and halved potatoes while making the curry. The potatoes will soak up all the extra fat and make the curry thicker too.

More Indian Chicken Curry Recipes

Love curries? Here are some of the most popular chicken curries in India

Butter Chicken - mild curry with tomatoes, cream and morsels of chicken
Kerala Coconut Chicken - Chicken curry with spices, onions and coconut milk
Mangalorean Chicken Ghee Roast - Another curry from the east coast of india; best with dosa or appams
Instant Pot Mughlai Chicken Korma Recipe - Another north Indian curry from the land of kings, Lucknow.
Chicken 65- Indian Fried Chicken - Spicy chicken appetizer with curry leaves.

If you make Chicken Vindaloo with this recipe, do drop me a note. I would love to hear what you thought about the curry!

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Chicken Vindaloo vs Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken vindaloo is a dish that's emerged from Goan and Portuguese cuisines coming together. It relies on chilies, vinegar, sugar and spices for flavour. Vindaloo is also usually made with red meat like pork and lamb.

On the other hand, chicken tikka masala is an indian dish that was invented in UK. Though it's a quintessential Punjabi dish where tandoori chicken morsels are simmered in a rich gravy made with tomatoes and a touch of dairy cream.

Aside the a few basic spices like turmeric and chilies, the two dishes are far apart in their look, taste and texture

Chicken Vindaloo vs Chicken Korma

Chicken korma is a milder dish, usually light in color. It's made with cashews and occasionally cream. You can see the recipe of chicken korma here.It comes from the north west part of india and falls under Mughlai cuisine.

On the other hand, vindaloo originated when Portuguese people came to goa.It has both goan and Portuguese influences. It is a spicy curry that relies on chilies as a base and also for color.

Instant pot chicken vindaloo

Yes you can make the chicken vindaloo in the instant pot too.

Instead of slow cooking it in a pot, you can pressure cook it in a more controlled and hands free way.

Though, pressure cooking the chicken releases more water and you will be left with a more watery gravy.

Also, the masala doesn't get roasted and caramelized. So all in all the taste and texture will be a little different but it will still have the taste of vindaloo.

All you need to do is follow the process till marination in the recipe card.

Using the saute mode, sauté the onions till pink or translucent.

Add the marinated chicken with 1 cup of water. Pressure cook for 12 minutes on high.

Frequently asked Questions